Summer Internship Series: T.J. Oetinger Edition

The first time I walked into Shooting Touch’s office in Norwood I was wearing a full suit, resume in hand, feeling the familiar nerves before a job interview. Now I’m sitting in the office wearing my old high school basketball warmup shirt for #ThrowbackThursday, iced coffee in hand, writing this brief recap of my internship.

I first heard of Shooting Touch while scouring through LinkedIn, searching for prospective job opportunities. To be completely honest, the only reason I noticed them was the fact that their logo was a basketball hoop. I have been a borderline basketball addict since I was little, so any employment opportunity that involves the sport immediately goes to the top of my list. But the more I read about the organization, the more I realized that basketball was just the start for them. I started to see an organization that uses the passion for the sport I love to inspire good in whomever they come in contact with. I subsequently applied to every open internship slot they had, and never expected to hear back from them. But sure enough, here I am.

I graduated from Keene State College in 2012 with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. I was a sports writer for the KSC Equinox and would occasionally work broadcasts for the mens’ and womens’ basketball team. When I graduated, I began working at the University of New Hampshire as a Campus Service Officer. While I come from a police family, it was never my intention to join law enforcement as a career; I merely needed something to do until I could figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up. Fortunately, Shooting Touch helped me begin to realize my calling.

In my time here I have been working as a Grant Writing Intern. My work revolves around identifying potential funders and writing compelling assessments of why they should invest in Shooting Touch, and what good could be done with their funds. Writing has always been something I have enjoyed, and this position has given me some great experience in persuasive writing. There’s a thrill in sending out a proposal and waiting to hear if your words convinced someone to give their money to Shooting Touch. At the beginning of August we are going to hear back about a large proposal we sent in a few months ago. Patrick and I spent a lot of time and energy on that one, and I would be really pumped if we got some good news.

It’s funny how much things have changed since I first stepped foot in this office back in February. I am now a Massachusetts resident (as a native Granite Stater, those words still don’t feel right), and I am now able to come in to Shooting Touch a few days a week. It is my goal to eventually obtain a full-time position in the non-profit field. Before I got involved with Shooting Touch I had no idea that this would be the path I would be going down. But in a way, that goes to show the power of what they’re doing. I feel very passionately about the work Shooting Touch is doing with G3 in Boston and The Basketball Health Corps in Rwanda. It is really something to see the impact these programs are having on the kids that Shooting Touch reaches. That is what keeps me coming back, and keeps me motivated to help fund these fantastic programs. I am excited to continue my work here and see what’s in store for Shooting Touch in the future!